FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Stephanie Berry
703-416-4888 Ext 104
[email protected]
Burt Rutan Honored with
2015 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy
Washington, DC, October 5, 2015 – The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) is pleased to
announce that Burt Rutan has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 Wright Brothers
Memorial Trophy.
Established by NAA in 1948 to honor the memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright, the trophy is
awarded annually to a living American for “…significant public service of enduring value to
aviation in the United States.”
Rutan is a world-renown aerospace engineer noted for his originality in designing light, strong,
and energy-efficient aircraft. He designed the record-breaking Voyager, which was the first plane
to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, and the sub-orbital spaceplane Spaceship
One, which became the first privately funded spacecraft to enter the realm of space twice within a
two-week period. Rutan also has five aircraft on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and
Space Museum in Washington, DC.
“For 40 years Burt has been one of the giants in aerospace development and engineering,” said
Jim Albaugh, Chairman of NAA. “So much of his work has had an impact on aircraft design and
performance, and he is very worthy of one of the most important awards in aviation.”
From 1965 to 1972, Rutan was a civilian flight test project engineer for the United States Air
Force at Edwards Air Force Base. He left to become Director of Development of the BD-5
aircraft for Bede Aircraft, a position he held until 1974. Rutan then returned to California to
create the Rutan Aircraft Factory, which designed and developed prototypes for several aircraft,
mostly intended for amateur builders. In 1982, he founded Scaled Composites, LLC, which has
become one of the world’s pre-eminent aircraft design and prototyping facilities. Rutan retired
from Scaled Composites in 2011.
Rutan received the Presidential Citizen’s Medal in 1986, was inducted into the National Aviation
Hall of Fame in 1994, was named the recipient of the Charles A. Lindbergh Award in 2000, was
listed as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2004, received
the National Academy of Sciences Award in Aeronautical Engineering in 2005, was recognized
as a Living Legend of Aviation in 2011, was awarded the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space
Museum Trophy for Lifetime Achievement, and was ranked number 18 of Flying magazine’s “51
Heroes of Aviation” list in 2013. He is also the recipient of two NAA Collier Trophies awarded
in 1986 for the Rutan Voyager and in 2004 for SpaceShip One.
2015 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy Selection Committee Members:
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Jim Albaugh, Chairman, NAA
Joe Anselmo, Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week
Mark Baker, President & CEO, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Major General Charles Bolden, USMC (Ret.)
Nick Calio, President & CEO, Airlines for America
Robert Crandall, Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy Recipient, 2004
Dr. Sandy Magnus, Executive Director, American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics
Dave Melcher, President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association
Greg Principato, President, Aero Club of Washington
Jonathan Gaffney, President & CEO, NAA; Chairman of the Selection Committee
Rutan will be presented the trophy at the Aero Club of Washington’s Wright Memorial Dinner on
Friday, December 11, 2015. For more information about the award or to view a list of past
recipients, please visit www.naa.aero. For information regarding the Wright Memorial Dinner,
please visit www.aeroclub.org.
The National Aeronautic Association is a non-profit membership organization devoted to
fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and to promoting public
understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States. NAA is the
caretaker of some of the most important aviation awards in the world, and certifies all world
and national aviation records set in the United States. For information, visit www.naa.aero.
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